On Wednesday 21 June, in partnership with Lambeth Libraries and Hope Road Publishing, Spread the Word present authors Tony Fairweather and London Writers Awards alum Alexis Keir to discuss the importance of Windrush and their books Twenty-Eight Pounds Ten Shillings and Windward Family in celebration of Windrush 75 at a free event at Brixton Library.
After WW2 England was on its knees, so the call went out to the British Empire for volunteers to rebuild the “Mother Country”. Young men and women from different Caribbean islands were quick to respond. In this 75th Anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush and its passengers, join Tony and Alexis to discuss the importance of Windrush and their books Twenty – Eight Pounds Ten Shillings – A Windrush Story and Windward Family.
About the authors
Tony Fairweather was born in Clapham, the son of Jamaican parents. He opened one of the first Black bookshops in the UK, worked for the Voice newspaper heading up its book club, founded ‘The Write Thing’ 29 years ago, and curated the Windrush Collection and Windrush Exhibition of Artefacts.
Alexis Keir grew up in Luton, but his family are from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent where he lived for a while as a child. Twenty years later, he returned, and inspired by the embrace of his relatives began to explore more deeply the stories of his own family and the stories of others who had left Saint Vincent over generations. His book is an extraordinary memoir that takes us inside the beating heart of a Black British family.
Book now
Book your free ticket for Windrush Stories at Brixton Library on Wednesday 21 June at 6.30pm here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/windrush-stories-with-author-tony-fairweather-and-alexis-keir-tickets-601344125467
About Windrush 75
The arrival of the ship HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, bringing more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean, is a moment that shaped modern Britain. On 22 June 2023 we will mark its 75th anniversary. Windrush Day has become a key symbolic moment in the story of the Black British contribution to this country and the broader post-war migration from across the Commonwealth and beyond that helped create the modern Britain that we share today. The 75th anniversary year offers an unparalleled opportunity to deepen the public conversation about the past, present and future of modern Britain. For more information on Windrush 75, please visit: www.windrush75.org/about
Published 23 May 2023